Floyd Schofield cleared up past controversies with a dominant performance against Tevin Farmer in a lightweight bout showcased during the Jake Paul vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. event on Saturday. Schofield faced intense criticism in February when he was slated to fight Shakur Stevenson, who had just been involved in a demanding rematch between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. The 22-year-old Schofield eventually withdrew from the Stevenson fight last minute, leading Stevenson to face Josh Padry instead. The situation worsened after Schofield’s father accused someone from Stevenson’s camp of poisoning his son, which brought further backlash.
Despite the doubts, Schofield entered the fight as a -250 favorite against former junior lightweight champ Farmer and wasted no time, flooring Farmer with a right hand within 35 seconds. Farmer barely made the count but was visibly shaken. Smelling weakness, Schofield pressed on and knocked Farmer down again. The referee allowed Farmer to continue briefly but intervened after Schofield landed a series of solid punches, ending the fight. Schofield landed eight out of 14 punches, including two knockdowns, while Farmer managed only one punch and two throws.
This victory was significant for Schofield, especially considering Farmer had recently endured two grueling 22-round fights against William Zepeda, ending in close losses. After the fight, an emotional Schofield shared how much weight had been lifted off him since the turmoil in February and expressed confidence despite criticism from fans who doubted his chances.
Fan Take: This win is a crucial moment for Floyd Schofield to reestablish himself as a serious contender in the lightweight division and shake off the negative press from earlier in the year. For fight fans, it signals the arrival of a hungry, skilled young fighter ready to make waves and possibly shift the lightweight landscape in the near future.
